In brief: Coroner: deaths were homicides, suicide

CHEHALIS, Wash. – The Lewis County coroner says the gunshot deaths of three members of a Winlock, Wash., family involved two homicides and one suicide.

After autopsies this week, Coroner Warren McLeod said 65-year-old Cathy Lee Walter’s death was a suicide. McLeod said Friday the deaths of her husband, 57-year-old Rodney Walter, and her 18-year-old son, Devon Walter, were homicides.

Sheriff’s Cmdr. Steve Aust tells KOMO-TV that investigators don’t believe anyone else was involved but still haven’t determined how the husband and son were shot.

The bodies were discovered Tuesday night by an adult daughter who drove from Tacoma to check on the family.

New effort aims to privatize liquor sales

OLYMPIA – A new initiative to privatize state liquor sales has been filed with the secretary of state’s office.

In November, Washington voters rejected two ballot initiatives to privatize liquor sales.

But conservative blogger Stefan Sharkansky said his new proposal would maintain tax revenue and impose tighter control on private liquor sales. He helped craft last year’s Initiative 1100.

Sharkansky’s initiative would only allow stores with a five-year record of no public safety violations to sell liquor, seeking to allay last year’s fears of minors gaining easier access to alcohol.

Private retailers would collect liquor sales tax at the current level, so the state would still receive revenue to continue public service programs.

Sharkansky says privatization would allow the state Liquor Control Board to focus on controlling liquor rather than promoting it.